” A Distinct Society”

***** There is something special about Writers Theatre in Glencoe. For all these years of bringing theater to the North Shore, first in the original venue, then the book store and now the magnificent facility that they built right around the “Covid era”, we have always been given quality theater. When in the larger theater, much bigger, and in the studio, more intimate plays. Writers has also been involved with many new works and love doing premieres, making them the first to bring these plays to their stages.

They are now doing the Midwest Premiere of Kareem Fahmy’s “A Distinct Society” which he also has directed. This is a small cast in an intimate space doing 95 minutes of storytelling that will have you feeling many emotions. Yes, you will laugh and as the play ends, you will find a tear or two dropping from your eye, so bring at least a small package of tissues.

The story takes place in a library. The building itself straddles the border of The United States and Canada, so that part of the actual library is in each country. Being located as it is the rules that govern this building are different than one might expect as part of the building is in each country. The story is based on actual events where a “Muslim Ban” was in effect and while Muslim families could meet, they were allowed short periods of time and were watched very carefully. This was during a time when trust was an issue and many people were afraid of what might take place.

The librarian, Manon ( Kate Fry once again shows the talent she brings to any stage. Her comic touch is powerful and then when we see the sadness that she has endured and must continue to , we see the emotional hills and dales that she is able to pull off with great ease. I for one will admit, from the first time I saw her on a stage, I became a fan, and over the years, she has never let me down.

The border guard that works in the region is Bruce (deftly handled by Amir Abdullah), who is anxious to prove his worth and does not trust the Iranians at all. He becomes a romantic figure in Manon’s life as they learn more about each other and the place that they call “home”.
In the first scene, we meet a Muslim father, Peyman (played to perfection by Rom Barkhordar), who has come to the library to meet his daughter and bring her food. She is a student and he has not seen her since she left their country. He learns the rules quickly as Bruce warns him of the troubles should he violate the rules that have been set. Later, we meet his daughter, Shirin ( well played by Alla Ayilam Peck) and see the struggles that she is going through as well.
The final character in the lay is Decian ( a superb character study played beautifully by Cole Keriazakos), who spends a great deal of time at the library reading about super heroes and grabbing comic books that Manon is able to procure for him. They are in many ways a family, with the library as their “home”. That is until the arrival of Peyman and his daughter. There is more to the story, but I do not want to give away any secrets. I will tell you that there are some major surprises that will make much of the story make more sense.

“A Distinct Society” is filled with many topics- family, food, art, objects, history, politics, honesty, traditions and honor. It is in fact deeply moving and when the final scene begins, you will see how these players have been transformed into different people than they were at the start of the story, only 95 minutes earlier.

The set by Paige Hathaway is very realistic. The costumes (Izumi Inaba ) are very fitting, the lighting (Brian Elston) is right on and the sound (Andre Pluess) perfect. I was impressed by the props (Rae Watson) and the number of books they were able to assemble to make the set so realistic. While not a musical, per se there was some choreography (Leah Morrow) and there was some intimacy design or choreography (Victoria Nassif)’.

“A Distinct Society” will continue at Writers Theatre located at 325 Tudor Court in Glencoe thru July 23rd with performances as follows:
Wednesdays 3 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.
Thursdays 7:00 p.m.
Fridays 7:30 p.m.
Saturdays 3 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.
Sundays 2:00 p.m. and 6 p.m.
Tickets range from$35 and are available by calling 847-242-6000 or at www.writerstheatre.org
There is parking in the area and at the train station on Green Bay Road.

To see what others are saying, visit www.theatreinchicago.com, go to Review Round-Up and click at “A Distinct Society”.